# Quvenzhane and made up black people's names **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 12, 2013, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948 "2013-01-12T08:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/101 "2013-01-13T20:00:42Z")
> [@Queen\_Tonya](#): > > My favorite coworker is an intelligent, thoughtful and hard-working guy who’s actually quite over-educated for the job we have. Every single time we discuss something our kids said or did I inwardly cringe at his children’s names. He has a nice normal name, his lovely wife’s name is a bit more ethnic but perfectly readable and easy to pronounce; they combined the letters of their names to create unique names for all four children. > > I just don’t get it. They’re smart people, it boggles my mind that they saddled those kids with such atrocities. When he talks about growing up in a ghetto part of town and his pride at buying a home for his family in a solidly middle class area so his children can have a better life, I’m just struck by the disconnect between how he wants to raise them and the horrid names he gave them. Parents doing this should be saddled themselves with equally creative, legally binding names. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/102 "2013-01-13T20:05:06Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > Parents doing this should be saddled themselves with equally creative, legally binding names. Lots of parents who give their kids names like that do have names like that. Obviously, some people like having “creative” names. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/103 "2013-01-13T20:21:35Z")
> [@nashiitashii](#): > > My only real exception to the “made up names are totally okay by me” rule is that I hate the name Nevaeh. It’s in the top 50. You’ll be meeting a lot of them in the future. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/104 "2013-01-13T20:40:44Z")
I’m changing my username to Ch’f laQu’uy. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/105 "2013-01-13T21:00:52Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > …LaSondraLynn… LaSondra is fine. SondraLynn is fine. LaSondraLynn? Come on! Now you’re just being greedy. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/106 "2013-01-13T22:12:29Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’m changing my username to Ch’f laQu’uy. I’m partial to LaQuayquay myself. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/107 "2013-01-14T05:47:37Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Oh, no.Pssst!. Look at the whited-out message beside the link. Oops. I see I reverse whooshed myself…first time I understood your joke, this time, I missed it. My mistake. [QUOTE=Blackberry] Lots of parents who give their kids names like that do have names like that. Obviously, some people like having “creative” names. [/QUOTE] Right. People are always, “Oh my! How will these children overcome the hurdle of a ghetto name?!?” ; not taking into account that these names are often given by parents who also have ‘ghetto names’. They obviously decided that the names haven’t been a horrible thing for them, and they are the ones in charge of deciding what is best for their own child. This concept is really simple. “If you want a creative name, get a cat.” No, how about YOU get a cat? Each parent decides for themselves the best way to raise their own child, and you don’t get a vote. I remember getting my hair braided in tiny cornrows when I was a kid. It hurt like hell, and I used to cry my way through it. But guess what…that was a part of our culture and if I couldn’t have my hair in braids, I would have been very unhappy. Someone on the outside looking in may not see that, but we did. We decided for ourselves what was best for our own children and our customs had reasons that maybe others don’t get. I went from being what we called ‘tender-headed’ to learning to love to have my hair braided. I bonded with my mom and with other women in the community, sitting between their legs for hours, holding the hair grease in my lap, listening to gossip or just good old fashioned wisdom. I learned that yes, sometimes it hurts to have your hair braided, but that doesn’t mean that you mom has to decide not to braid your hair. And sometimes you will meet people in life who are ignorant enough to judge you by your name, but that doesn’t mean you have go with an ‘acceptable’ or ‘normal’ name. Naturally, any good parent’s hope is to raise the kind of kid who can be exceptional enough to raise above namism. If the parent doesn’t raise a kid that great, then I think it is small consolation to say, “well, I’m nothing special, so thank goodness I don’t have a unique name to have to overcome.” I used to work with a man at this call center, in sales. He was a tall, handsome, imposing, ‘own the room’ kind of man. He had a verrrryyy ghetto black name. I mean, really hardcore. He ‘got around it’ by having his customers address him as “Mr. Smith”. (using his real last name, I mean). That took balls. It really did. The kind of job we were working, a lot of the sales agents almost thought they had to kowtow to customers. To hear this man introducing himself by his last name, and have customers calling back to ask for “Mr. Smith” impressed the hell out of all of us. We all were just first names and badge numbers. Yeah, it took a special guy to make a solution and have the heart to carry it off, but that is the kind people we should be aspiring to raise. Not kids who never have to have any discomfort or challenges in their lives. I mean, let me be clear, if you choose to name your kid a ‘normal’ name, that is great. I didn’t go exactly normal, but I didn’t go ‘ghetto’ either. I went with a traditional, extremely uncommon name. But I don’t think folks should knock parents who did go with ‘creative’ names. In fact, I celebrate them. Glad they are ushering in the new normal. Get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/108 "2013-01-14T06:02:45Z")
““If you want a creative name, get a cat.” No, how about YOU get a cat?” Done. “Each parent decides for themselves the best way to raise their own child, and you don’t get a vote. I remember getting my hair braided in tiny cornrows when I was a kid. It hurt like hell, and I used to cry my way through it. But guess what…that was a part of our culture and if I couldn’t have my hair in braids, I would have been very unhappy. Someone on the outside looking in may not see that, but we did. We decided for ourselves what was best for our own children and our customs had reasons that maybe others don’t get.” How would you have been very unhappy? How far are you willing to take this argument? Are there are caveats you can think of to this general rule? ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/109 "2013-01-14T06:07:24Z")
I’m willing to take this argument to exactly where I think is reasonable, and when it becomes ridiculous I will abandon it. Of course. I think yes, we should teach children to ski even if it may cause injury, but no, we shouldn’t allow them to ride in cars without seat belts, because that would be ridiculous. These things aren’t hard for me. I would have been unhappy because I believed braided hair was beautiful. Also, it was a big part of Sunday nights at my house. It was a ‘ritual’ if you will. I would have felt left out. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/110 "2013-01-14T06:14:52Z")
> [@nashiitashii](#): > > Mind you, a lot of my “really severe” stuff is naming boys “little boy” names like Andy, Cody, Tyler, etc. People seem to do that even more frequently with girls, and I hate it. Parents should remember that childhood is fleeting, and give their kid a dignified name which will fit well on an older adult. Save the “cutesy” for childhood nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/111 "2013-01-14T06:33:05Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > People seem to do that even more frequently with girls, and I hate it. Parents should remember that childhood is fleeting, and give their kid a dignified name which will fit well on an older adult. Save the “cutesy” for childhood nicknames. Before my kid was born, we had potential names take a “title check”: Firstname Lastname Dr. Firstname Lastname Firstname “Danger” Lastname Lieutenant Colonel Firstname Lastname Sir Firstname Lastname, O.B.E 100 Million Firstname Lastname Fans Can’t be Wrong President Firstname Lastname If any of these was less than completely convincing, we dropped the name. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/112 "2013-01-14T07:02:59Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Before my kid was born, we had potential names take a “title check”: > > Firstname Lastname > Dr. Firstname Lastname > Firstname “Danger” Lastname > Lieutenant Colonel Firstname Lastname > Sir Firstname Lastname, O.B.E > 100 Million Firstname Lastname Fans Can’t be Wrong > President Firstname Lastname > > If any of these was less than completely convincing, we dropped the name. I certainly see your point to a certain extent, but in what year? It’s not like these things don’t change. If Obama’s mom had used that criteria she wouldn’t have named her kid as she did. And we may not think of Kayla or Jaden as being POTUS names right now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be 40 years from now. (And I’m not a fan of super trendy names either.) Or Jose or Naoko or Muhammad or LaKisha, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/113 "2013-01-14T07:30:34Z")
Everybody bashes the name \*Shaniqua _as the archetypal made-up name that sounds stupid and heralds the decline of western civilization, etc. Reality check: It is not made up! It’s an established real name. Chenequa, Wisconsin is pronounced the same as Shaniqua, albeit given a different spelling, and it derives from the word for ‘white pine’ in the Potawatomi language. [Cite.](http://www.chenequa.org/History.html) [Another cite.](http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/wisconsin-natural-history-society-archeological-s/the-wisconsin-archeologist-volume-32-34-hci/page-9-the-wisconsin-archeologist-volume-32-34-hci.shtml)_ I think it’s a pretty name, with a lovely meaning, and I don’t understand all the hate. Also, the bile so commonly spewed against the name for being stereotypically black really makes me wonder if hating on the name isn’t a stalking horse for not-so-subtle racism. \*There are other theories, examined in the second cite above, such as maybe it’s derived from the Ojibway language (closely related to Potawatomi) _Anishinaabe_ meaning ‘original people’ (the ethnic name for the Indian tribes of the region around Lake Superior) and _kwe_ ‘woman’. Still makes for a perfectly cromulent name IMHO, and one that deserves respect. The Village of Chenequa hedges their bets by depicting pine trees _and_ an Indian woman on their town seal. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/114 "2013-01-14T07:31:05Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > I don’t have a problem with made up black names, because I’m not some smug white guy named Chad who thinks everyone should speak, act, and name their children they were they it was done in his Connecticut prep school, but the made up name should be something pleasant sounding. Not a fan of Quvenzhane. > > Same. I once encountered twins named Addyssn and Madyssn, and a little part of me died right there. I prefer English names since my native language is… English. You want to make a name up, expect people to screw the pronunciation up on a regular basis even after repeated corrections. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/115 "2013-01-14T07:48:48Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I prefer English names since my native language is… English. You want to make a name up, expect people to screw the pronunciation up on a regular basis even after repeated corrections. Being generous, MAYBE 8% of people have ever pronounced my (Scandinavian) name correctly on the first try (and those people are almost invariably foreign). MAYBE 50% of them did after being corrected. (And it’s really, really not a complicated name, 5 letters and 2 syllables; PM me if you want to know what it is.) I don’t particularly care. I’d still rather have my name than have one of the top 10 names in my birth year. Nothing against people with common names, but in most ways I like having an unusual name. That’s not to say I don’t sometimes get tired of explaining my name to every customer at my job who asks my name for no real reason (which is an oddly high number of them), but such is life. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/116 "2013-01-14T08:04:04Z")
> [@Zjestika](#): > > I knew someone who leagally changed the spelling of her name from Katie to Khaiti. Which was her choice to do to herself, so whatevs. I once worked with a Khlayre, born Clare, who changed it as a teen and never changed it back. It didn’t seem to have stopped her getting ahead in her career, but I’m sure there were a few raised eyebrows behind her back (I first went into a meeting with her, expecting an asian man, but that probably says more about my prejudices) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/117 "2013-01-14T08:08:17Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > Being generous, MAYBE 8% of people have ever pronounced my (Scandinavian) name correctly on the first try (and those people are almost invariably foreign). MAYBE 50% of them did after being corrected. (And it’s really, really not a complicated name, 5 letters and 2 syllables; PM me if you want to know what it is.) > > I don’t particularly care. I’d still rather have my name than have one of the top 10 names in my birth year. Nothing against people with common names, but in most ways I like having an unusual name. That’s not to say I don’t sometimes get tired of explaining my name to every customer at my job who asks my name for no real reason (which is an oddly high number of them), but such is life. So change the spelling so people can pronounce it in English. Nobody’s going to recognize the odd letters used in your native alphabet. Not having anything to do with you but I remember when Prince changed his name to a symbol. There weren’t enough :rolleyes: for that one. I think they did everybody a favor by changing the spelling of immigrants names back in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/118 "2013-01-14T08:15:55Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > …Not having anything to do with you but I remember when Prince changed his name to a symbol. There weren’t enough :rolleyes: for that one… Oh, I am sure Prince still wakes up with nightmare sweats over all the eyerolling he had to endure over that one. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/119 "2013-01-14T08:41:17Z")
I don’t think people respect nicknames enough. I know plenty of people with ostensibly normal names who go by completely bizarre and outrageous nicknames, often nicknames given them by their parents as children. The advantage of a “normal” name with a “unique” nickname is flexibility - if you prefer your nick, you can introduce yourself by it and everyone will call you that, but your “normal” name will still appear on your school records and resume, and you can revert to it if you feel like it fits you better. Myself, I prefer a foreign version of my first name over my real first name. Everybody calls me by the nickname, but my “real” name still appears on all the official paperwork. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948/120 "2013-01-14T09:10:38Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > So change the spelling so people can pronounce it in English. Nobody’s going to recognize the odd letters used in your native alphabet. No unusual letters in my name, and it’s phonetically correct in English. And like I said, it’s 5 letters and 2 syllables. If you think that stops anyone from fucking it up, you’re dead wrong! It was a huge joke all through school. One teacher eventually promised me a chocolate bar every time he pronounced it wrong and I ended up with quite a few chocolate bars (a bunch of students would call him every time he said it wrong). And this teacher loved me! (Most teachers have always liked me quite well, it was a small school and I’ve always been a top student.) Still gave my kid an unusual name, because I like unusual names 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quvenzhane-and-made-up-black-peoples-names/646948.md?page=7)